After year of turmoil and a $2 million lawsuit, N.J. school district is getting a homegrown leader

The Camden City School District’s interim state-appointed superintendent will be a seasoned New Jersey teacher, the state Department of Education said Thursday.

After Katrina McCombs departs the district to accept a new role with the state Department of Education, Davida Coe-Brockington will assume temporary leadership of the state-controlled school system on July 1, according to a statement from department officials.

State Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer stated that Dr. Coe-Brockington is well-positioned to guide Camden’s schools forward because she has deep ties to the Camden City School District and has dedicated her career to fostering a sense of community within the school community and providing significant results for students.

According to officials, Coe-Brockington has been the principal of Creative Arts High School since the Camden school’s opening in 1999.

Over her 30-year tenure in Camden, she has held a number of other roles in the school district, including acting assistant superintendent, Language Arts supervisor, and teacher, according to state officials.

After McCombs’ resignation takes effect on July 1, state officials stated that she must be approved by the state Board of Education as the temporary schools head during the July 2 state board meeting.

According to officials, the state will keep looking for a permanent district chief.

Under then-Governor Chris Christie, the state took control of the Camden school district in 2013 after it was deemed to be among the worst-performing in New Jersey.

Years later, locals regained some control over the system through an advisory school board made up of elected representatives of the community. Nevertheless, the district’s activities are not within the advisory board’s authority.

A request for comment on Coe-Brockington’s nomination was not immediately answered by N Namdee Nelson, the president of the advisory board.

Last year, the district was rocked by allegations that Wasim Muhammad, the president of the advisory board, had sexually assaulted a former pupil in the 1990s while he was a district teacher.

Despite Governor Phil Murphy’s calls for his resignation, Muhammad stayed on the advisory board as the matter proceeded to trial. In July 2024, the district was found accountable in the civil lawsuit.

Following public outcry during board meetings in July and August that disrupted board business and resulted in a brief physical altercation between Muhammad’s family members and the public, Muhammad resigned.

A Camden County jury granted $1.6 million to the woman who accused Muhammad of sexual assault and the school district of neglecting to safeguard her. Following the trial, the school district consented to pay an extra $400,000 in punitive damages.

In March, McCombs said that she would be joining the state Department of Education as the assistant commissioner for the Division of Early Childhood Services.

After Paymon Rouhanifard, the first state-appointed superintendent, resigned, McCombs, a former Camden student who returned to teach and administer, took over as district leader for seven years.